The researchers studied the types of hepatitis C virus in Southern China from 2015 to 2016. They looked at over 3,500 samples from different provinces and found that genotype 1b and 6a were the most common. In Guangdong, genotype 1b was the main type, but in some areas, genotype 6a was more common. Genotypes 4, 5, and 7 were not found. Overall, genotype 1b and 6a are still the most widespread in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan provinces, with some areas seeing a shift from 1b to 6a.